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Historic Boats for sale online

alan_fincher

By alan_fincher
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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Indus & Pictor

 

£85,000 (yes, honestly!)

 

 

 

The price includes 'the business' too.

 

Not that 'the business' has any intrinsic value unless they have both an exclusive fuel route granted by CRT, and audited accounts showing a healthy profit. No mention of either in the listing.

 

Anyone owning a fuel boat (e.g. Gosty Hill) could pop up and start flogging fuel on their (presumably abandoned) fuel round, or even in competition with them if not abandoned.

 

 

MtB

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Curiously we have seen Indus and Pictor moving North up the GU in the Milton Keynes area in the last few days, so they were not servicing any fuel deliveries in London when doing that.

 

I don't think there is any "exclusivity" about a patch, and certainly Indus & Pictor, Baron and (before they ceased trading) Archimedes and Ara have at times all simultaneously serviced central London.

 

Anybody with a coal boat and the right licence can try selling anywhere - and some now do - which doesn't really help the regular supplier who has been trading and giving good service in an area for years.

 

Don't forget the original adverts for Gosty Hill claimed that a thriving business came as part of the deal!

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pete harrison Veteran

pete harrison

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PICTOR was sold twice in 2002 after being in the same family for almost thirty years. I suspect it was towed for the first purchaser who at that time worked at Bradley. PICTOR was sold again towards the end of 2002 to an owner who carried out renovations and returned the boat to carrying condition.

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The Pipe Rising Star

The Pipe

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PICTOR was sold twice in 2002 after being in the same family for almost thirty years. I suspect it was towed for the first purchaser who at that time worked at Bradley. PICTOR was sold again towards the end of 2002 to an owner who carried out renovations and returned the boat to carrying condition.

Correct. You memory and records are better than my few brain cells.

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Black Ibis Proficient

Black Ibis

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ely for sale at WFBCo

 

http://www.wfbco.co.uk/narrowboats_for_sale/Ely

70' converted River Class butty,very spacious part fitted steel cabin with galley, bathroom and large saloon -back cabin stripped out.Solid fuel stove,Paloma water heater-would make excellent houseboat or floating retail outlet
£18000
Edited by Black Ibis
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junior Veteran

junior

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If Indus & Pictor are not currently trading then as far as I am aware that only leaves 'BARON' and 'ASH' trading in London at the moment, both Wakeham's boats. I'm not sure what either of their boundaries are, but I don't think ASH goes much further West than Denham and I don't think BARON goes much further East than Stonebridge. Paddington seems to be their middle boundaries. It's a while since I boated in London on my own boat though so I could be wrong.

 

Last winter when I was in London, as well as the 2 boats I mentioned, there was VICTORIA plus ARCHIMEDIES trading as well, all of their custom now going to the remaining boats I guess.

 

So INDUS & PICTOR....I think they traded mainly East on the Lea & Stort, although I'm not sure. Can anyone confirm? If they are not currently trading, has anyone moved in to cover their customers yet? I would imagine if somebody did then it would quickly start lowering the value of their business they are attaching to the price of the boats?

 

If someone was to see the opportunity and move another boat to London and start trading, would it severely pass of the 2 remaining boats, or would they just view it as inevitable bearing in mind there was 4 or 5 boats last winter?

 

I'm not particularly asking all this for any reason, more just thinking out loud. Although as I've said elsewhere, I do keep looking at Gosty Hill's advert from a dreamers point of view as it's about the only historic boat for sale that I could realistically find the money for, and it just happens to have a fuel pump and tank.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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The other boat trading on some of the lower reaches of the GU is M & P Carrying's "Hyperion".

 

Its web-site says it only trades down as far as Cowley Peachy though.

 

At one stage there was a story that a bid was being made to keep Archimedes ans Ara trading, but it seemed to come to nowt.


One thing to be aware of, (if it matters to you!), is that Indus was not actually originally a motor boat - it is actually one end of a butty, the other of which also got converted to a motor (Indus 2), and now carries a cabin conversion. The advert fails to mention this, but it would undoubtedly make it less valuable to an enthusiast than a boat which had a full history as a motor.

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MtB Veteran II

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Out of interest, is anyone able to have a stab at a ball park value of Indus & Pictor just as the boats? That would give an indication of what they are valuing the business at?

 

I'd put Indus at £45k and Pictor at £20k, to the right buyer. That means they value 'the business' at £20k

 

The reality is the business is worth nothing as there are no barriers to entry (other than buying a fuel boat) so anyone already owning a fuel boat, or getting one from somewhere else, is free to start trading the beat without paying anyone a penny for 'the business'.

 

 

MtB

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junior Veteran

junior

Posted
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The other boat trading on some of the lower reaches of the GU is M & P Carrying's "Hyperion".

 

Its web-site says it only trades down as far as Cowley Peachy though.

 

 

One thing to be aware of, (if it matters to you!), is that Indus was not actually originally a motor boat - it is actually one end of a butty, the other of which also got converted to a motor (Indus 2), and now carries a cabin conversion. The advert fails to mention this, but it would undoubtedly make it less valuable to an enthusiast than a boat which had a full history as a motor.

I did think of Hyperion, although as he doesn't come into central London I left him off. I'm sure I've seen him come up from Brentford past me at Bulls Bridge though, so it's interesting he says he only goes down to Cowley.

 

I'm sure both Archemedies & Victoria used to range from Ricky all the way through London and up the River Lea. I'm pretty sure none of the remaining fuel boats left in London operate over this who distance.

 

Indus is not even on my radar, there is no way I'd ever find that money without robbing a bank. The only money I could find would be from selling ALBION, which I would imagine is still worth about what I paid for it.

This put me in the price range of Gosty & Tadworth only I think, with Tadworth needing another small fortune spent on it afaiaw. Gosty would probably need money spending on it too having sat dormant for so long, this is money I don't have at the moment, hence me not being able to be too serious the idea. It does keep reoccurring in my head though, which knowing how my brain works, is dangerous.

 

I'm certainly not serious about starting to run a coal either, although if by some fluke I did end up seriously considering Gosty, a fuel run would seem a natural thing to do, only if there was a 'fee's patch not being covered, which is unlikely.

 

Of course buying Gosty should be good to get me a couple of places up next year's BCN Challenge final placings!!

 

I'd put Indus at £45k and Pictor at £20k, to the right buyer.

 

 

MtB

I also note that although you value Pictor at £20k, there are a lot of butties hanging around unsold at the moment, some for an advertised £18k.

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I did think of Hyperion, although as he doesn't come into central London I left him off. I'm sure I've seen him come up from Brentford past me at Bulls Bridge though, so it's interesting he says he only goes down to Cowley.

 

I'm sure both Archemedies & Victoria used to range from Ricky all the way through London and up the River Lea. I'm pretty sure none of the remaining fuel boats left in London operate over this who distance.

 

Indus is not even on my radar, there is no way I'd ever find that money without robbing a bank. The only money I could find would be from selling ALBION, which I would imagine is still worth about what I paid for it.

This put me in the price range of Gosty & Tadworth only I think, with Tadworth needing another small fortune spent on it afaiaw. Gosty would probably need money spending on it too having sat dormant for so long, this is money I don't have at the moment, hence me not being able to be too serious the idea. It does keep reoccurring in my head though, which knowing how my brain works, is dangerous.

 

I'm certainly not serious about starting to run a coal either, although if by some fluke I did end up seriously considering Gosty, a fuel run would seem a natural thing to do, only if there was a 'fee's patch not being covered, which is unlikely.

 

Of course buying Gosty should be good to get me a couple of places up next year's BCN Challenge final placings!!

 

I also note that although you value Pictor at £20k, there are a lot of butties hanging around unsold at the moment, some for an advertised £18k.

 

 

I was being optimistic. To a buyer willing purchase them both in one deal as a pair, I'd say £50k looks about right given I've just noticed Alan says the INDUS is half a butty too. This kicks huge holes in the value to an rivet-counting enthusiast.

 

MtB

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Sabcat Rising Star

Sabcat

Posted
Posted

 

I'd put Indus at £45k and Pictor at £20k, to the right buyer. That means they value 'the business' at £20k

 

The reality is the business is worth nothing as there are no barriers to entry (other than buying a fuel boat) so anyone already owning a fuel boat, or getting one from somewhere else, is free to start trading the beat without paying anyone a penny for 'the business'.

 

 

MtB

 

I might give em a ring, make sure there's not £50k of stock they forgot to mention on the listing wink.png

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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I also note that although you value Pictor at £20k, there are a lot of butties hanging around unsold at the moment, some for an advertised £18k.

 

There are buttys that will sell for less than that that are not claimed to need some overplating as well!

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MtB Veteran II

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Posted
Posted (edited)

 

I might give em a ring, make sure there's not £50k of stock they forgot to mention on the listing wink.png

 

 

That's 250 tonnes of coal at £10 a bag, by my calculations!!

 

 

MtB

 

 

 

(Edit to correct my arithmetic)

 

There are buttys that will sell for less than that that are not claimed to need some overplating as well!

 

Isn't the ANGEL on record as changing hands for £20k-ish?

 

 

MtB

Edited by Mike the Boilerman
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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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There are buttys that will sell for less than that that are not claimed to need some overplating as well!

 

 

 

Didn't canalchef pay £20k-ish for the ANGEL?

 

I have no idea - did it need over-plating?

 

I don't know the boat, but Meteor, claimed to be new cabin, recent bottom, and in full working trim has an asking of £18,750.

Edited by alan_fincher
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